This program project is concerned with various aspects of the structure, biosynthesis and metabolism of connective tissues. The overall objectives can be summarized as follows: (a) to define the biochemical pathway of synthesis, secretion and assembly of the components of elastic fibers and the control of these processes, (b) to study the glycosylation of interstitial procollagens and the role of glycosylation in the overall collagen biosynthetic scheme, (c) to examine and define the physicochemical, immunologic and biosynthetic aspects of basement membranes in a variety of tissues, (d) to isolate and characterize active messenger RNA for basement membrane collagen and interstitial collagen and study changes in their levels in disease states, (e) to study the in vitro biosynthetic behavior of endothelial and smooth muscle cells and (f) to study the metabolism and turn-over of interstitial and basement membrane collagen in glomeruli and aortas of animals with diabetes mellitus.